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During a field survey in Hongbenghe close to the China/Myanmar border in Yingjiang County, Yunnan Province, a new species was found and named Polyalthia yingjiangensis.

By Bin YANG Hits

Polyalthia yingjiangensis sp. nov. is described from the China/Myanmar border. It is distinct in having outer petals that are much shorter than the inner petals and having a very long pedicel, perianth parts that are glabrous adaxially and pubescent abaxially, thicker and sparsely pubescent pedicels, as well as verrucose and darker monocarps(Figure).

During a field survey in Hongbenghe close to the China/Myanmar border in Yingjiang County, Yunnan Province, a species with leaves with a slightly asymmetrical leaf base, brochidodromous venation and reticulate tertiary veins, and hence referable to Polyalthia s.s. Molecular phylogenetic studies (not shown) also confirm its placement in Polyalthia. It is most similar to Polyalthia miliusoides I.M. Turner, a species known from Sabah and Brunei, in having outer petals that are much shorter than the inner petals and very long pedicels, i.e. characters which are rare in Polyalthia, but differs in having perianth parts that are densely hairy abaxially and glabrous adaxially, pedicels that are thicker and sparsely pubescent, as well as verrucose and darker monocarps. We believe that the plant represents a new species and describe it here as Polyalthia yingjiangensis. The new species Polyalthia yingjiangensis is named after its type locality, Yingjiang county of Yunnan province, China.

Since 2016, KIB (Kunming Institute of Botany) and CPC (Centre for Plant Conservation of Vietnam) have conducted several surveys in the transboundary karst regions in Northern Vietnam and Southern China and seven new species in the genus Begonia Linn. (Be…